Jose Theodore and the laser pointer

As if there weren't enough other things going on Thursday night, there was also a weird green light splotch that kept circling around Jose Theodore's mask with less than a minute left in the third period. The speculation was that someone was trying to fry Theodore's eyes with a laser pointer; The Hockey Chronicles provides extensive details on the dangers of laser pointering someone's eye.

Anyone who would point a green laser pointer into another person's eyes -- regardless of why or who -- should go to jail. For a long time. It's incredibly dangerous, and anyone who'd do that should have the book thrown at them.

I don't think there is a strong enough penalty you can throw at a club for this. Maybe even a forfeiture would be appropriate. It's at least the second time this has happened, and the league has to nip it in the bud now.

The problem with creating a 'crowd interference penalty' is that if I were insane enough to try it, I could go to, say, a Caps@Pens game, put on a Pens jersey, and point a laser pointer in the general direction of the Caps goalie. Refs see dude in Pens jersey tormenting Caps player, give penalty to the Pens.

I prefer the notion that when security/the refs/whoever sees someone pointing a laser pointer at a player, they should be taken outside the arena and SHOT IN THE FACE.

Anybody sitting behind Theo could have, and should have, seen the beam. The goal-judge certainly should have seen it. If it was the same kind of laser used in some pen-like devices, you'd think there would be a visible streak of light. This is scary. The Caps must provide this tape to Bettman.
NY...ugh!! and the worst part of it is that NY is full of NYers !!!